MultiDCD + visual, an asynchronic visualization system for managing the debate of ideas in remote collaboration

Abstract

Globalization of architectural practices and fragmentation of knowledge are driving contemporary design studios to work within a dislocated net of partners. Consequently, the main point for successful remote collaboration is the understanding of team dynamics. During the first stages of a design activity, team members work, discuss and communicate multiple proposals in a dynamic and unclear way. Available software for teamwork assistance is focused on real time sessions, following the approach used for Product Development. However, remote collaboration in architectural design requires a specific approach supported by asynchronic collaborative visualization tools. This paper presents the Multi-dimensional Collaborative Debate Visualizer (MultiDCD+Visual), a client-server system for managing the flow of information in geographically distributed design teams. The system constructs a multi-dimensional model of the evolution of the design activity, allowing users to intuitively understand the debate of ideas.